Disclaimer: We own none of the characters used in the following story, with the poosible exception of Mairead, and Eleanor. The rest belong to the wonderful JKR.

Timeframe: Harry's 7th Year.

Summary: A strange discovery is made about Draco Malfoy. Unfortunatly for you, you're probably going to have to wait several chapters to discover what this discovery is!


Sirius Black plopped into a chair in the kitchen of his childhood home, 12 Grimmauld Place. His hands were shaking slightly and his face was pale, despite the fact that it had been ten minutes since he had awoken in a cold sweat from a vague nightmare of his time behind the veil. Not wanting to wake his recently rediscovered wife, Mairead (Ma-raid), who was sleeping soundly beside him, or his newly found daughter, Eleanor, snoring softly in the next room, he had crept down the stairs to the kitchen where he could ponder his dream in without worry.

Although he had had nightmares regularly since he had found himself at Hogwarts with nothing but sketchy memories of the time after his cousin had stunned him and he had fallen through the veil, this was the first one in months. He knew perfectly well that the reappearance of his muggle wife was the reason for his lack of nightmares of late, and wished that pleasant circumstance could have continued. He was finding that the mere few months he had spent in that unknown place were haunting him worse than his 12-year incarceration in the wizarding prison, Azkaban. This was made worse by the fact that no-one, not even Dumbledore knew for certain where the cold, damp place he dreamed of was, and had even less idea how he had got back home.

A burst of purple light from the fire behind him and a soft pop announced the presence of someone's head in the fire. Sure enough, when he turned round, the wrinkled face and long white beard of his former headmaster greeted him. Dumbledore didn't look surprised to see him in the kitchen, despite the fact that the clock above the mantelpiece proclaimed that it was only 5-o'clock in the morning. Sirius wondered idly if the man was as all knowing as he appeared or if he had just perfected the art of never showing surprise.

He was torn from his thoughts by the other wizard's cheerful "Good morning, Sirius!"

He grunted in reply.

"Sorry to disturb you so early" the Headmaster continued, unperturbed. "I was just wondering if you knew whether Narcissa Malfoy had any tattoos?"

A rather confused look passed over Sirius' face. "No. No, I don't think so, or at least she didn't. She always hated them; I don't suppose she'd get one. Other than the Dark Mark, of course. Why?"

"All in good time, my boy. All in good time." The expression on the younger man's face clearly showed that he would have liked to object to this particular sentiment, but knew it was fruitless, and so refrained.

"Order meeting tomorrow, as soon as Harry and the Weasleys arrive, Sirius: I'll see you then. I would suggest you get a little more sleep" he finished, and then disappeared with a small pop.

Acting on Dumbledore's advice, Sirius dragged himself up to the bedroom he shared with Mairead and was asleep before his head hit the pillow.


Harry arrived at 10 o'clock the next morning, escorted by Tonks, Moody, Kingsley Shackbolt and Remus. He was introduced to Mairead and Eleanor, and seemed to like them very much. He only knew about them through Sirus' letters, but the group fell into easy conversation about the improvements that had been made to the house, sitting comfortably around one end of the large oak table in the kitchen. When Harry had smiled and told its residents that the new bright and cheery look of the once dark house was a decided improvement, the conversation drifted to other matters.

In consequence, when the Weasleys arrived, half an hour late, as usual, Harry was listening intently as Mairead told him how she had met her husband once again. She had to recount the story of how she and Sirius had both gone to visit Lily and James' grave at the same time for the benefit Ron, Hermione (who had come with the Weasleys) and Ginny, since they only caught the tail end of the conversation. When questioned as to how she knew he wasn't guilty, she replied that she had never thought that he was in the first place, and was rewarded with an arduous kiss on her lips from her unusually happy husband.

Eleanor rolled her eyes and informed her companions that her parents had hardly stopped kissing since they had met again. Harry retorted that Sirius was happier than he had ever seen him, and if that meant that he had to watch some rather disturbing public displays of affection, then he was going to have to learn to live with it.

"If you think that is bad, you should have seen them when they first got together," was Remus' input.

The kiss finished when Tonks cleared her throat loudly. A blushing Mairead apologised, and changed the subject. She had just finished informing Harry how she knew his parents (she had been Lily's next door neighbour and best friend) when the rest of the Order began arriving.

Dumbledore was the last to arrive, and stood in the doorway observing the interactions of his friends.

Ron and Hermione were having a whispered argument at the end of the table furthest from the door, under the amused gaze of Harry and his girlfriend Ginny, who was sitting on his lap. He smiled slightly. Despite the fact that Ron and Hermione had been a couple for about a year, it seemed the only change in their regular arguments was the way they made up afterwards.

Sirius and Mairead sat in a world of their own, chairs so close together that they were touching, next to Harry and Ginny. Eleanor sat beside them, looking through an album of muggle photographs. Opposite her, Remus and Tonks were having an animated conversation on the subject of unicorns, of all things, and net to and across from them Arthur Weasley was chatting with his sons, Bill and Charlie, about Quidditch.

Professors McGonagall, Snape and Flitwick were talking quietly together with Molly Weasley and Kingsley Shackbolt at the end of the table nearest him. They were discussing the whom the mysterious Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher was going to be for Harry's 7th and last year, which started in just a month. No one save Dumbledore and said teacher had any idea.

There were others there: Moody, Percy Weasley and Dung Fletcher, for example. The two redheads conspiring in the corner were obviously the Weasley Twins. He wondered what they were up to now.

Deciding that it was time to start, he cleared his throat to bring them to order. Anyone who was not already sitting to the table quickly did so, and he took his place between Minerva and Severus.

Dumbledore smiled at the witches and wizards surrounding him, his most trusted friends and allies: the inner circle of the Order of the Phoenix. Although its numbers stretched into the hundreds, the twenty or so who had formed the "Order Mark 2" (as Sirius Called it), plus a few other important and trusted members, did the majority of the planning, and they were the ones present.

Once he was sure that he had everyone's attention he began to speak.

"I'd like to welcome today two new members. The first is Sirius' wife, Mairead Black..." he paused a moment.

"And the other..."

Moody cut him off. "How do we know that she's not a spy, I mean it's not like anyone here has been in contact with her over the last decade." Unnoticed by everyone else, Remus blushed guiltily. "How do we know that she's not working for Him?"

Sirius was on his feet in seconds, ready to defend his wife, but Mairead pushed him back down gently, getting to her feet herself.

"I can assure you that I am no spy. You may question me under Veritaserum if you do so wish, but I don't think Voldemort," - a few people flinched, but she ignored them - "Accepts muggles into his ranks anyway."

A few occupants of the room looked surprised, others confused ("What use is a muggle going to be in the Order anyway?"). A wave of chatter swept over the room.

Dumbledore held up his hand for silence.

"I not only trust Mairead implicitly, as I do everyone in this room, but I am also convinced of that her knowledge of the muggle world, her lateral thinking and her formidable research skills will be incredibly valuable to the Order. She was a member of the original Order, but because she lived in the Muggle World for the last decade, she had not idea that Voldemort had returned. She is a very intelligent young woman and I am convinced she will help us in our goal."

Mairead, blushing, hid her head in her husband's shoulder.

Dumbledore, oblivious, continued. "The other new member is Sirius' daughter Eleanor. She is a witch but has had no schooling, so I hope I can rely on everyone here to help her so she can join 6th year with Miss Weasley in September."

There was a murmur of agreement, and Eleanor blushed to the roots of her auburn hair under everyone's scrutiny.

"Right, and on to more serious business. The raid on the Malfoys was..."

He stopped as he was interrupted again, this time by Eleanor.

"Hold on!" she requested. "Malfoy? As in Draco Malfoy?"

There were confused nods all round, except from Mairead, who had some idea where this was going.

Eleanor fished the photo album out from under the table and plucked a photo out behind the plastic cover.

"As in this Draco Malfoy?" she questioned, slapping the photograph down onto the table in front of her.
Reveiwers are encouraged! Expect the next chapter sometime next week.

Cait and Meg :)